Scramble for grey vote with pension age row

and  The planned increase in the State pension age to 67 will be deferred pending a review if Fianna Fáil takes power, Micheál Martin has promised. Fine Gael, meanwhile, has pledged to bring in a new «transition payment» so older people don’t have to sign on to the dole until they qualify for the pension.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said the payment would be a «pensions pathway» but provided no details of the sums involved or the qualifying criteria. The pledges came as an opinion poll last night had Fine Gael support at 23pc, two percentage points behind Fianna Fáil on 25pc. Sinn Féin support was at 21pc, the Ipsos MRBI/Irish Times poll found. The two main parties are making desperate bids to hold on to the grey vote and strengthen their appeal to pensioners after being outflanked by Sinn Féin and Labour on the issue. Age Action Ireland last night claimed older people are being used as «pawns» in the election.

As it stands, those who retire at 65 have to sign on for jobseekers’ payments until they reach 66. There are long-standing plans to raise this age to 67 next year and 68 in 2028.

Campaigning in Sligo, Mr Martin said the increase in the age for qualifying for the State pension to 67 in 2021 would result in a «limbo period» for people that’s «not sustainable».

He added: «We would defer that next year. In other words it would not take place next year until a full review of all of the issues around retirement was completed.»

However, last night there appeared to be confusion in the party on its pension age policy.

The Irish Independent asked Fianna Fáil how much it would cost to defer the age increase to 67. It released a statement from Social Protection spokesman Willie O’Dea making no reference to deferring the change until after a review. Mr O’Dea mentioned a review would take place and outlined how Fianna Fáil would reinstate, on an interim basis, the State transition payment to people over 65 who are forced to retire. The cost of this was put at €150m. Meanwhile, in Dublin, Ms Doherty denied there was «conflict» in Fine Gael over pensions. Her comment comes after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said his party was standing over plans to increase the pension age following remarks by Minister Charlie Flanagan signalling a possible U-turn on that stance.

Ms Doherty said the policy is «not going to change».

However, she added she had listened to people who said it was not fair that they would have to sign on to the live register after working for decades.

«So we’re going to potentially reintroduce a pensions pathway, a new transition payment,» Ms Doherty said.

This would not include the habitual residency clause that applies to jobseekers’ payments.

«Pensioners who worked all of their lives wouldn’t be expected to get jobs if they don’t want to,» Ms Doherty added. However, she provided few other details of the proposed scheme other than saying it wouldn’t be paid for through the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). She said the full policy would be outlined «towards the end of the week» and no further details were provided last night. Age Action Ireland last night claimed older people «are being used as pawns» in the election where promises like an extra €5-a-week on the pension are being made to «earn votes». «The reaction by some political parties to the issue being raised on the doorsteps of the Election 2020 campaign is to lay the tracks while the train is moving,» it said.

It argued this kind of policy development is «disjointed and a poor approach to planning». It wants next year’s pension age increase to be stopped so a stakeholder forum can be established to achieve a consensus around «progressive» retirement policies.